Summary: Set in S4 after Jeremy was killed. What if Damon hadn't had her turn her humanity off? What happens when Katherine shows up in person at the boarding house?
"No, no, no, no. I can't. I can't," Elena Gilbert sobbed.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxh4NqeSh7A
The match she held burned her and she let go. Before it could hit the floor though, Stefan Salvatore caught it and put it out.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonnODilbG9
"Listen to me, Elena. You can do this," Damon encouraged her. "Let me help you."668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48VaDLEyXY
She dropped to her knees and sobbed.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡROUnonCA1n
He knelt down by her.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIWBV7lJWmy
"I can help you."668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zCqGZjEGn
She wrapped her arms around Damon Salvatore and sobbed into his shoulder. As she did, he wrapped gentle arms around her and looked up at his brother.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWCM6ZkYXz
"We have to do something. She won't be able to live like this," he told his little brother.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatFAfVyd8V
"I know."668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgktEAOpUy
He looked at Elena again.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsM0d3QkoaB
"I can help you, Elena but right now, I want you to come home with me."
Half an hour later, she and Damon were in Damon's room. Elena was seated on his bed and Damon was seated beside her.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ82dhAlAFsG
"It'll be okay, Elena. You'll get through it."668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzel68yFZp
"Have you been like this before?"
"Well, not like you are, obviously but I have some experience with losing someone close. You know the basics, but you don't know what happened before Katherine."668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6s5SXEEhQ
"What happened? Whom did you lose?"668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsf261PnsOj
"We lost our mother. After that, we vowed to stay close and to never let a girl get between us."668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX63jhuaaaX
"But Katherine did."668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQeiT2umvSD
"Yes. But not until after I met her. Stefan met her while I was fighting in the war. I met her after I came home on leave to see Stefan."668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBmno1PhAX
"So, wait, you were in the war?"668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5OlkCbhwhh
"Yes. For the South; and that is not something you forget. My point is that time heals some things. It did for me."668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKzui5J0mM
"How?"668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFIktzfok02
"By enjoying everything life can give you. And you have people that are willing to help you in every way."668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtypmb88Q2z
"Thank you, Damon."668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4YFAlDuK7
"You are very welcome, Elena."668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBOZ1TfY4F9
"Am I interrupting something?" came the voice.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltZOwFDk1X
They looked to see Katherine Pierce standing in the threshold, the cure in one hand.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcMAr3aTGyU
"I assume you want this. That's why you're looking for me. We can give Elena half and I can use the rest to Klaus. Assuming Elena wants the cure. Or shove it down either Klaus' or Silas' throat. Pick either one, but I vote for Silas. He's awake and that's bad news. Klaus can be dealt with another time."668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi7mcIIqUS7
"How brave of you to come here after everything," Damon commented, as he glared at her.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcntnQpYfOh
"It's not my fault Silas killed him. All I needed was the cure. I didn't know he was going to kill him. But I wanted to get it and then go," she explained.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8sjftgkyx7
She set it down on the table and walked into the room.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIAYdavaQY
At vamp speed, Elena pinned her to a wall with a hand around her throat.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxhb6xPOen
"Don't," Elena growled in warning and anger. She wanted to rip her head off, but knew they needed answers and she had them. "You have no right to come in here and talk about my brother!"668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6AyXvz9mY
"I was trying to apologize. I know what it's like to have all your human family killed," she explained through the pain from Elena's too tight of a hold. "Elena, please," she added in almost a whisper.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xS8NoatAi
She knew Elena was upset, but she didn't need to be so rough. She knew if Elena didn't let go, she was going to black out. She was already hurt. Now she couldn't breathe and her vision was dim and gray.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qtGHYRAVK
Damon saw that Elena had too tight of a hold on her and saw Kat's reaction. Then he smelled the mixture of hybrids and her blood. That's when he knew he had to help her. She was dying. No wonder she had said she didn't want Klaus dead yet. She had been apologized.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3Gvb9Ranl
He was instantly at Elena's side.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTInWNEwyq
"Elena, let go," he said, as he used the Sire bond to make sure she'd do what he asked of her.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JckzsUoj3
Elena let go and stepped back, as she wondered what was wrong. As she did, Katherine slid down the walk with her back up against it. She coughed and gasped as she sat there with her eyes closed.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC3eoQumQKV
Damon knelt down beside his Sire.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQeeuFxRDrY
"Damon?" Elena questioned.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6hFmkjs3z
"Bitten by hybrids," he told her.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9SrlBrILz
"That's what that smell is?"668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVDSM6U3N2
"Yes."668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRvcNwdy96
The elder vampiress stopped gasping and coughing. She felt extremely weak and tired, as she dimly heard their conversation.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoSZbXZyBsk
He looked at his Sire. She looked so pale to him.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97AnMBSkPN
Her head rolled to the left and he gently used his hand to keep her head up.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTN9PRoUOMa
"Katherine, can you hear me?" he called.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjC40kXGLk
"Damon," she whispered.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDwPsO9AjW
"How long ago? I'm going to help you."668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOhfGjrDdH
"Two hours," she whispered.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ds3CcibD3
As he picked her up in his arms to get her on his bed, she went limp as she blacked out.
Once he had her on his bed, he sat on her bedside and looked at Elena.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2F0R5BH0nK
"Go see if there's anything left of the cure in the basement."668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mbxFFOUPa
He watched her vanish to go obey him.
Half an hour later, he had given the cure to her and they both were standing at her bedside.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0PYO6Jb21
Kat groaned, as she came to.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3FFXZRaNZ
When she woke up, she saw that she was on his bed and they were both looking down at her.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSc85G8zQWU
"Welcome back," he greeted her.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsgRLxcvtb
"Thanks," she replied.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30UiaeIVOc
Kat sat up in bed and smiled warmly at them.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡScy3MQhi2Q
Elena smiled back.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbTZpuKe2C8
Damon just looked down at her.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUfq4w8Dm1
"You saved my life," she added.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuAbq2mmC4S
"You're welcome," Elena said with sympathy.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6EPKnAV5Q
She knew Elena was trying to apologize.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhcb9pHFaKx
"It's okay, Elena," she assured the youngest vampiress out of the three of them.
